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I’m willing to bet that not too many of us would say a box of candy is a lame gift. Candy is always amazing. I mean, why do you think people love Halloween so much? Oh sure, dressing up and doing the whole trick or treating thing is fun, but it’s the CANDY that everybody talks about for the months before and after.

So, needless to say, candy Boxes are great party favors, and also great gifts.

Just today my son went to a birthday party, and the party favors were candy boxes. You can buy the boxes at any craft store, stuff them with fun kinds of candy, and it’s like you are giving each kid a twenty-dollar bill. If you put in different kinds they can even trade!

Speaking of trading candy, we used to have this tradition in our home around Christmas time. Well, technically it wasn’t Christmas time, it was Thanksgiving, but since my Aunt and Uncle and two cousins only came in for Thanksgiving every year we would turn the day after into Christmas day. This was obviously before Black Friday shopping had really become an obsession…

Anyway, my grandparents both came from the Mother Country, if you will, and they brought with them a tradition called “bunte teller”, which all of us kids called “buntenteller”.

The concept is that each grandchild got a basket laden with candies of all kinds. Colorful candy boxes covered with German writing, from the local European markets or from the Amish country. Our favorite candies, and different kinds of candies in each basket. We probably spent a good hour going through each piece and then taking place in a serious trading session. As we got older, there would be a little velvet bag in the basket that had some money in it. Now that we are all adults the tradition has disbanded, mostly because we all visit at various times of the year, but the memories are amazing. Just thinking back on it makes me want to start using it with my kids.

Anyway, it’s undeniable that candy is just fun. There’s something about candy boxes that make us smile a little bit, regardless of how old you are, or where you come from. Giving each other the gift of a tasty treat just translates well. It’s like you are wishing something good into the life of someone else, and I don’t think I’m reading into it too much.

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